Hunting For a Fox
by Natureboy3
Summary: Fireheart and Sandstorm are attacked by a fox while on hunting patrol. Fireheart goes looking for revenge, but it ends in tragedy. FireheartxSandstorm One-shot.


**A.N.: Hey everyone! Here's another one-shot. Review but no flames.**

Fireheart stalked through the undergrowth, all his senses alert. His green eyes pinpointed his target: a mouse. Springing forward, he dispatched the creature with a swift bite to the back of the neck.

"Nice catch!" Fireheart looked up to see Sandstorm watching him. Padding over to her, he touched noses with the she-cat.

"Thank you, Sandstorm. Are you ready to head back to camp?" Sandstorm nodded and turned to go collect the other prey she had recently caught. Picking up his mouse, Fireheart moved to go when something stopped him dead.

Fox!

The scent was heavy in the air. How could they have not notice it? Dropping his mouse, he whirled around to look for Sandstorm.

The ginger she-cat was lost from sight somewhere in the undergrowth. Suddenly, loud crashing and hissing caused Fireheart to hurtle himself forward through the bushes.

There, in a small clearing, was Sandstorm pinned down by a grizzled male fox with a long scar down the side of his face. The fox bared his teeth, about to sink them into Sandstorm's throat. Fireheart sprang forward with fury taking over his senses.

How dare this fox try to hurt Sandstorm!?! Ramming the fox in the side, it released it's grip allowing Sandstorm to scramble to her feet. Clawing at the fox's ears, Fireheart clung on as the fox shook him violently.

He watched as Sandstorm sprang on it's back, but was thrown off. Fireheart watched in horror as Sandstorm cracked her head on a tree trunk and slumped down motionless.

His vision turned red as Fireheart attacked the fox with all his strength, regardless for his own safety.

_This thing hurt Sandstorm! I will never let it hurt her again! I have to kill it! Kill! _

Fireheart's mind screamed with fury. He leaped away and prepared to throw himself at the fox again when the border patrol appeared. He watched as Graystripe, Brackenfur, Whitestorm, and Swiftpaw hurled themselves at the fox.

Realizing it was hopelessly outnumbered, the fox turned tail and vanished into the undergrowth. Graystripe turned to check on his best friend as the rest of the patrol attended to Sandstorm.

"Fireheart, are you okay?" Graystripe asked. But his friend didn't look okay. He was trembling with rage and his claws were unsheathed, glaring at where the fox had disappeared. He turned to Graystripe and seemed he was going to attack him, but then settled down.

"I'm okay. How's Sandstorm?"

"I don't know. Let's get her back to camp."

* * *

Sandstorm was laying in a soft bed of moss in the medicine den. The top of her head had been cut, but it wasn't deep and Cinderpelt had applied a poultice to prevent infection.

The ginger she-cat was sleeping quietly as Fireheart watched her, grief and fury showing in his eyes. Cinderpelt padded up and set a leaf wrap of poppy seeds next to him.

"Fireheart, she'll be fine. I'll let you know if anything changes. Eat the poppy seeds and go to sleep."

Fireheart was reluctant to obey the order, but bent over and licked up the seeds. Curling up in a spare nest, he drifted off.

* * *

_Fireheart walked through the undergrowth, the sweet scent of Spottedleaf wreathed around him. His heart skipped a beat as he saw the medicine cat pad out of the ferns. Sitting on her haunches, she dipped her head to him._

"_Fireheart, I know the rage you feel inside. I know how it feels to watch one you love be injured, but you must listen to me. Sandstorm will recover. Don't go looking for revenge, it will only cause more pain and loss."_

_Fireheart was about to answer when a painfully familiar scent hit him. Whirling around, he watched as a giant fox lunged for his throat, jaws snapping._

* * *

Fireheart awoke with a start. Night had fallen and the moon was high in the sky. Seeing he was still in the medicine den, he made up his mind on a course of action.

Checking to see that Cinderpelt was asleep, he pressed his nose gently to Sandstorm's ear and whispered softly.

"Don't worry, Sandstorm. I'll find that fox and kill him. He'll never hurt you again."

Sandstorm murmured quietly but remained asleep. Poking his head out of the den, Fireheart saw that the clearing was deserted except for Mousefur standing guard at the camp entrance.

Sneaking through the shadows and out the dirt-place tunnel, he paused in a moonlit clearing to draw his claws across a stone, making them razor sharp.

_I'm sorry Spottedleaf, but this is something I have to do. _Fireheart thought as he padded into the undergrowth.

Opening his mouth, he scented fox. It was stale, but definitely there. Moving silently, he paused at the edge of a small clearing. The Thunderpath marking the Shadowclan border was not far.

Straining his hearing, he picked up quiet grunting noises at the opposite side of the clearing. Padding a few steps forward, he caught sight of the fox's orange fur. He could smell a little blood, confirming that this was the fox that had ambushed earlier.

With a loud cry, he charged forward.

* * *

_Sandstorm looked around at the starry forest around her. She didn't have much time to ponder where she was. She looked up as Spottedleaf ran into view. The medicine cat looked distraught, her fur was fluffed out and her eyes were wide with fear. _

_Sandstorm didn't feel the cold hostility she normally felt when she thought of ThunderClan's past medicine cat. Sandstorm jumped to her feet, ignoring the ache in her head._

_"Spottedleaf, what's wrong?"_

_"It's Fireheart! He's in trouble!"_

_Images of Fireheart lying on blood-spattered ground jolted Sandstorm awake._

* * *

Fireheart hiss as the fox's teeth dug cruelly into his shoulder. Wrenching away, he sprang att the fox and clomped down hard on his ear. The fox yelped in pain and shook his head vigorously.

As he was flung off, Fireheart spat out a piece of the fox's ear. He wasn't sure if the blood he was tasting was his or the fox's, but it was definitely the fox's ear. He was about the spring again when a voice sounded behind him.

"Fireheart, no!"

Fireheart looked over his shoulder to see Sandstorm standing among a ThunderClan patrol. He also spotted Cloudpaw, Graystripe, Cinderpelt, even Bluestar. The patrol watched as hurled himself at the fox one final time.

Scoring his claws down the fox's face, he tore out one of it's eyes. The fox squealed in terror and fled. It took off toward the ShadowClan border with Fireheart hot on it's tail. Branches whipped across Fireheart's face as he tore though the vegetation.

The pain from all the wounds his body had meant nothing. All he had to do was kill the fox. That's all that mattered. He could not let it live to hurt Sandstorm again.

Tearing through the edge of the forest, he watched as the fox limped across the thunderpath and vanished into ShadowClan territory. Sprinting across the hard surface, he barely felt anything as it cut into his pads.

He ignored a faint rumble in the distance, focusing on the task in front of him.

"Fireheart, come back!"

The ginger tom paused in the middle of the Thunderpath, looking back at the ThunderClan side. He saw the patrol appear from the brush, Sandstorm leading them.

"Fireheart, let it go! You're hurt! Please come back!"

Fireheart never got a chance to respond. Every cat noticed the rumbling now.

They looked to see a large monster careen out of nowhere, it's bright eyes glaring. Sandstorm yowled with terror as Fireheart disappeared under the monster's giant black paws.

* * *

The ThunderClan deputy now lay on the side of the thunderpath. The monster had hit him directly in the side, smashing his ribs. Fireheart tried unsuccessfully to take a breath, his lungs completely destroyed.

The patrol stood around him, grief consuming them. Cloudpaw pressed against Graystripe, trying to find some support. Bluestar looked sadly at Cinderpelt.

"You're sure there's nothing you can do?" Cinderpelt sniffed Fireheart gently before shaking her head.

"No, nothing. He's on his way to StarClan."

"No! No! Fireheart! Please don't leave me!"

Sandstorm lay next to Fireheart, licking his face in a vain attempt to rouse him. The tom was getting weaker by the minute.

"I'm sorry Sandstorm. I couldn't help you. I wasn't strong enough."

Sandstorm blinked back tears as she nudged the dying tom.

"No! Fireheart, you saved me! You can't leave me!" Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"I love you."

Bluestar winced at hearing these words. She remembered when her lover Oakheart had spoken those soft words to her. She remembered the devastation she felt when hearing about his death. Sandstorm didn't deserve to go through that.

"I love you to, Sandstorm..." The deputy closed his eyes and was silent. He had gone to hunt with StarClan.

The patrol moved back a pace, giving Sandstorm room to share tongues with her lover for the final time.

**A.N.: Mwahahahaha! That was fun! I admit it! You all know the drill, review! No flames! **


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